The murder of Chaim Weiss, a student at the yeshiva of Long Beach, New York, on November 1, 1986, remains one of New York’s most baffling unsolved mysteries. Chaim Weiss was killed in his sleep by a hatchet-like weapon between the hours of 1:20 and 6:00 AM. He was sleeping alone in his third-floor dorm room at 63 East Beech St. in Long Beach, New York. His skull was crushed from the brutal blows. The murder weapon was never found.
Weiss’ murder scene presented several peculiarities that led investigators to believe the perpetrator was knowledgeable in Jewish rituals dealing with the deceased. Despite the chilly temperatures, the window was found open, a possible Jewish custom to allow the soul to depart. Additionally, Weiss, who was taking antibiotics for a sore throat, was unlikely to have opened the window himself. The body was discovered on the floor with his feet propped on the bed, indicating that it had been moved post-mortem.
In the months leading up to his murder, the yeshiva principal had attempted to arrange meetings with Weiss, but the reasons for these meetings remained undisclosed. This raised suspicions but provided little tangible evidence for the investigation.